An evolution music video

I’m not really keen on music videos that portray science, for in general they’re pretty dire. But this one, from the Symphony of Science, is a little better than usual—if you can stand some of our favorite science popularizes autotuned—but it’s not very enlightening. Some of the images, however, are good.

However, you can refresh your knowledge by

Identifying the principals (not hard)

Figure out where Attenborough is walking at the beginning: it’s a very famous place

Identifying the birds at 2:00 and the lizard at 1:01

Finding the mistake in the characterization of natural selection at 2:29

I love Symphony of Science! The montage of documentaries introduced me to the great science populizers (yes, I have been living under a rock thank you!) and I’ve been hunting for each documentary since. The clips of Feynman and Brian Cox ultimately sparked an interest in physics and helped me discover what I want to be when I grow up (I’m heading back to school at 33 to become a High School Physics teacher). This wasn’t my favorite video of his, but it was about time he devoted one to evolution.

They aren’t for everyone. They drive my wife nuts, she hates the autotune. I’m not sure how much material there is to work with for Jerry, but if there is something to be done on the subject of vestigial traits we always have Jerry’s ears:

Mischaracterisation of natural selection: there isn’t a goal. It is just that if an organism doesn’t reproduce, its characteristics won’t get passed to the next generation. I’m finding it difficult to express, so here is an example: it isn’t that a warbler feeds its young with the goal of raising the next generation, it is rather the result of thousands of previous generations where the behaviour of feeding young would have been rather strongly selected for! Otherwise cuckoos would have a hard time. Hopefully Jerry can express it better!

At 2:29…
Animals strive to put their genes in maximum numbers into the next generation. This could lead to extreme overpopulation, which would be harmful for the survival of that generation. But in general it turns out to be a successful method of ensuring survival, though survival is not precisely what they strive for.

Or I could be mistaken, in which case I’m sure some of you will correct me.